🔗 Share this article

Two men have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the tipping of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the enormous mound of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions come after a recent report which exposed the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful sites throughout the country of England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental body commented that the apprehensions were for environment-related and money laundering violations and were a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been let go on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is estimated to house around 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of garbage is consists of what appears to be treated residential refuse, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tires and various domestic articles.

It represents just one of 517 unlawful sites in England, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total number of such larger locations is likely to be greater, as the environment authority has in the past stated it does not maintain records on tonnage for every unlawful tip.

A large proportion of such locations are in rural locations, typically out of sight, and on land that should be farm land.

Criminal Operations

Authorities report many are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by charging far less than lawful companies to accept and bury garbage.

Firms have to be liable for disposal fees to use legitimate landfill sites, based on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Anger

Initial work to clean up the Kidlington area location began earlier this month following worries over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by A-road.

A private clean-up company has been given the task to remediate the location over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the national environmental crime unit said that the body would be aiming to claim back the clearance funds under confiscation laws from any individual successfully convicted at the end of its active inquiry.

She further stated that these apprehensions would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit officials to "investigate more avenues to determine exactly what transpired and who was implicated".

"This unlawful site at the site was an shocking and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and the authorities share the community's anger at this terrible crime," she said.

A senior official supported the arrests, adding: "This unauthorized deposit of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has caused significant harm to the environment and anguish to the local population.

"Our government is dedicated to stamping out this category of illegal activity across the nation, by increasing funds to address environmental crime, employing more staff and introducing more severe controls and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The detentions were made on the specified day by officers from a regional organised crime unit and are in addition to an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was set free pending additional inquiries.